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Rep. Maloney Proud to Support Bipartisan Opioid Epidemic Package

May 13, 2016

Press Release

Vows to continue fighting for the necessary resources to enact new initiatives

Congresswoman Carolyn B. Maloney (NY-12) said she was proud to vote for a bipartisan package of initiatives this week that are meant to address the current opioid addiction epidemic in the United States. However, as she mentioned in a floor speech yesterday, Rep. Maloney is concerned that this group of legislation fails to provide funding to implement these needed, life-saving initiatives.

“The opioid epidemic is a problem Congress cannot ignore and I was pleased to support these bipartisan bills to create new federal grant programs to stem this crisis,” said Rep. Maloney. “These new programs will increase outreach by public health professionals, improve access to treatment and accelerate important research.

"Overdose is now the leading cause of accidental death in New York State and since 2000, the U.S. has seen a 200% increase in the rate of deaths attributed to opioids. In New York City, an estimated 886 lives were lost to opioid overdoses in 2015 alone.

"In the coming months, I will be working with my colleagues to do all I can to ensure these new programs get the resources they need in order to be successful and start saving lives."